A small brush fire at the intersection of Arlington Road and Whitman Avenue was quickly extinguished by the West Hartford Fire Department on Tuesday.

Brush fire Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Arlington Road and Whitman Avenue. Photo credit: Allison Rowlson

By Ronni Newton

There was plenty of smoke visible in the area of Fern Street and Whitman Avenue on Tuesday afternoon, but the West Hartford Fire Department was able to quickly extinguish the blaze before any damage resulted, Assistant Chief Jay Silver said.

“It was very small, very contained,” Silver said of the fire, and impacted only about 1,000 square feet of grass on vacant land at the intersection of Arlington Road and Whitman Avenue, right across from Fairview Cemetery.

Brush fire Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Arlington Road and Whitman Avenue. Photo credit: Allison Rowlson

According to Silver, the fire was caused by blowing leaves that ignited when the wind picked up and they came into contact with the hot exhaust from leaf blowing equipment being used by the town’s Department of Public Works. The leaves were being blown into large piles on the triangle of vacant land.

Silver said the Public Works employees initially tried to extinguish the blaze themselves, but the breeze picked up again and the fire began to spread, so the fire department was called into action.

There were no injuries or damage to equipment, and just a patch of charred grass.

Aftermath of the brush fire at Arlington Road and Whitman Avenue. Courtesy of West Hartford Fire Department

Connecticut’s Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security reports an “extreme risk” of fire danger on Tuesday, and the risk is expected to continue on Wednesday with low humidity, strong winds, and unseasonably warm temperatures. There have been several small brush fires in West Hartford, and last week the town’s Office of Emergency Management issued a fire risk warning and recommended actions that can be taken by residents to avoid a fire.

Brush fire Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Arlington Road and Whitman Avenue. Photo credit: Allison Rowlson

Brush fire Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Arlington Road and Whitman Avenue. Photo credit: Allison Rowlson

Brush fire Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Arlington Road and Whitman Avenue. Photo credit: Allison Rowlson

Brush fire Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Arlington Road and Whitman Avenue. Photo credit: Allison Rowlson

Brush fire Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Arlington Road and Whitman Avenue. Photo credit: Allison Rowlson

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